Climbing the ladder: new free Open University course offers help to get ahead in the workplace

Succeed in the workplace

People looking to get ahead in their careers are set to benefit from a new free course from the UK’s largest university. ‘Succeed in the Workplace’ – run by The Open University – will focus on the skills needed to write a strong CV and application forms, as well as tips on handling different types of interviews.

The new bite-sized course involves around 24 hours of learning, and draws on the expertise and experience of the OU’s academics, as well as the university’s Careers Advisory Service. Participants will be given guidance on the foundations of career planning, enabling them to build an action plan to help find a job which meets their aspirations and suits their lifestyle.

Clare Riding, Head of The Open University’s Career Advisory Service, said:“Up and down the country, young people are preparing to leave school or university and will be thinking about their first steps into the job market, while countless others already in work will be considering the next stage in their careers. This can be daunting if you do it on your own, so this new course offers plenty of practical advice to help think about what you really want out of your career and taking the first steps towards achieving it.”

The new course is the latest in a series run by The Open University which offers participants a digital badge upon completion, along with a Statement of Participation certificate. These Badged Open Courses (BOCs) enable learners to demonstrate their interest in the subject and – in this case – their commitment to their career. The first of the University’s BOCs were launched on the OU’s free learning site, OpenLearn, in February 2015, with more than 500 digital badges issued in the first few months.

Learners can access the new free course at http://www.open.edu/openlearn/. The course can be started at any time and learners are free to return whenever they wish to continue the course or refresh their knowledge.ENDS

Notes to Editors

Further details on Badged Open Courses can be found here:http://www.open.edu/openlearn/education/succeed-the-workplace/content-section-overview